Shoe and heel combination



Jan. 4, 1966 B. L. SLOSBERG SHOE AND HEEL COMBINATION Filed April 11, 1965 2 3 ow 0 Z B h M //////////Allflllllfi V/ VIIIIIA B/W m am;

55 NJAMIN L sausages I Ii 97' T0 ENE 76 United States Patent() 3,226,850 SHOE AND HEEL COMBINATION Benjamin L. Slosberg, Santurce, Puerto Rico, assignor to Missouri Heel Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri r 6 Filed Apr. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 272,304 1 Claim. (Cl. 362.5)

The invention relates to a shoe heel and to a combination shoe and shoe heel, particularly wherein the shoe heel is constructed to permit extension of the outsole of the shoe across the entire bottom surface of the shoe with the heel cup being mounted against the lower surface of the outsole. Because of the construction of the heel, it can be thus mounted with substantial reduction in the unsightly and unattractive joint betweenthe front of the heel and the outsole. Furthermore, because of the heel construction, this joint between the front of the heel and the outsole is virtually hidden from view.

Various kinds of high heels have been made for womens shoes. The construction of all of these heels is such that their use in combination with a shoe having its outsole extended across the entire bottom surface of the shoe creates an abrupt and unattractive juncture between the forward edge of the heel and the outsole. It is largely because of this fact that a popular style of high heel shoe uses a high heel with a flat forward side, and the outsole is attached to the ball and instep portions of the shoe only, extending downwardly therefrom across the flat side of the heel.

The present heel is made with a front side that is concave, at least adjacent the heel cup. This construction of the heel produces at least two unexpected advantages and results. First, the curved line of intersection between the heel cup and the front side of the heel can be shaped more closely to the shape of the outsole which that line contacts. Second, from all viewing angles except those below the shoe and forward ofthe heel, the line of intersection between the front side of the heel and outsole is hidden from view by the laterally outward forward edges of the heel.

The general object of this invention therefore is to provide a combination shoeand heel wherein the construction of the heel permits its attachment to the lower surface of the outsole without a visible unattractive intersection between the outsole and the front side of the heel.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the heel;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation view of the heel;

FIGURE 3 is a view in section taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation view of a shoe and heel combination with parts thereof shown in section; and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation view of a modified heel.

This heel has many of the conventional features of a heel. The body of the heel includes a relatively broad upper part 11 of relatively large cross section that tapers and merges into a relatively narrow or thin stem 12. The stem 12 has a fiat lower end 13 against which a top lift 14 is received. The top lift 14 may be molded onto the head of a pin 15 of hardened steel received within a bore 16 that extends the full height of the heel. The pin 15 may have flutes 17 on it that cut into the side wall of the bore 16 to hold the pin in place. It should be noted that other forms of top lift construction are possible.

The side wall of the stem 12 just above the lower end 13 may have any of the conventional shapes. It may be round, or it may have a flat front side 20, as illustrated.

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However, the shape of the front side of the heel gradually and smoothly changes from the rounded or flat shape at the lower portion 20 to a concave shape that provides relatively sharply defined laterally outward edges 21 and 22 between which the front surface 23 of the heel is curved rearwardly.

The top of the heel has a heel cup 24 surrounded on all but the front edge by the usual heel seat 25. The line of intersection 26 between the concave front surface 23 and the heel cup 24 is curved rearwardly as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 3. The outer ends 27 and 28 are fairly sharp points defined by the intersection between the edge 26 and the edges 21 and 22.

FIGURE 4 shows how the heel 10 fits against the lower side of a shoe 30. The shoe 30 has an upper 31, an insole 32, a shank 33 and an outsole 34. It is apparent from FIGURE 4 that the outsole 34 extends across the entire lower surface of the shoe, including the heel portion. The heel 10 fits against the lower surface of the outsole 34 at the heel portion thereof. The heel may be fastened in place by any of the conventional ways, such as nailing, etc.

When the heel is mounted, as is possibly more evident from FIGURE 2, the line of intersection between the edge 26 and the outsole 34 is not visible except when viewing the shoe from a position below and forward of the heel 10. Furthermore, the curvature of the edge 26 has been found to conform precisely to the curvature of the lower surface of the outsole 34, thereby providing an intersection that is not unattractive. The foregoing features of this heel permit it to be mounted as illustrated in FIGURE 4, thereby providing a new and different heel style and a less expensive way of forming the outsole and mounting the heel.

FIGURE 5 shows a modified heel 40 that is like the heel v10, but is shorter. Thus the heel 40 has a body with a relatively large upper portion 41 that tapers to a relatively short thin stem 42. The lower surface 43 of the stern can receive a top lift and there is a bore 44 through the heel for receiving a reinforcing pin. The front side of the heel may include a lower portion 45 that is flat, but the major part of the front side of the heel has a curved or concave surface 46 terminating at laterally outward edges 47 that correspond to the edges 21 and 22 of the heel 10. The heel 40 has a heel cup 48 and a heel seat 49. The heel cup 48 intersects the surface 46 in a rearwardly curved edge 50.

When attached to a shoe, the heel 40 has the same advantages as the heel 10 in that the outsole of the shoe may extend across the entire lower surface of the shoe.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the purview of this invention as will be readily apparentto those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are within the scope and teaching of this invention as defined by the claim appended thereto.

What is claimed is:

A shoe and heel combination, the shoe having a single piece outsole extending across the entire lower surface thereof, the heel having a heel cup and heel seat for fitting against the lower surface of the outsole of the shoe, the heel having sides extending downwardly from the heel seat to the lower end of the heel, including a forward side of the heel, the forward side of the heel being uncovered and exposed, the forward side of the heel meeting the outsole of the shoe in an exposed line of inter section, the central portion of the forward side, at least adjacent the heel cup, being recessed toward the rear of the shoe with said recess extending from the heel cup to the lower portion of the heel to provide forwardly extending lateral edges that obstruct observation of the References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Kirnber 36-34 Love'tt 36--34 Gleason 3634 Quirk 3634 Roberge 36-34 Darrag h 3634 George et a1. 3642 Ronci 36-42 Gudermuth 3634 FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1954 France.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

